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November 2012

November 30, 2012

Christine Ödlund is an artist of many talents. I was first introduced to her via her remarkable illustrations for Edda's rerelease of the 1871 Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton sci-fi occult romance novel, Vril: The Power of the Coming Race. The drawings remind me a bit of Fantastic Planet, with their delicacy and pastel palette. Her body of fine art focuses on themes such as plant spirits, bio-chemistry, theosophical thought-forms, and sound vibrations. In addition to her beautiful watercolors like the one above (and do click on it to see its exquisite detail), she creates video installations and musical performances.

Lucky NYCers up for some sponteneity can catch one such film by her this evening at 8pm, as part of the Swedish Energies festival of experimental art:

SWEDISH ENERGIES

Fri, November 30, 2012 - 8:00pm

Clemente Soto Velez, 107 Suffolk Street, NYC

The
second annual Swedish Energies, presented by ISSUE Project Room, iDEAL,
EMS, and the Consulate General of Sweden NYC, is a free two-night
festival featuring a huge lineup of some of Sweden’s most exciting
experimental musicians and artists. Performances include collaborations
between U.S. and Swedish artists, as well as a cross-section of Sweden's
most pre-eminent experimental groups.

Sound- and visual artist Christine Ödlund is freely
and comfortably travelling between different artistic expressions.
Inspired by psychic Annie Besant’s thought forms, nature, ecological
chemistry, the occult, the idea of parallell universes, extreme weather -
Christine Ödlund is working with music composition, painting, drawing,
video, intallations. Experiencing her stuff is like finding yourself in a
mysterious, dreamlike state of mind. Her art is a place where things
are allowed to collide and meet. New energies are born.

For some added trivia, she is married to one of my very favorite painters and Edda co-founder, Fredrik Söderberg. Talk about a power couple.

November 29, 2012

LACMA's current show, Drawing Surrealism, is self-explanatory enough, featuring works on paper by a staggering list of surrealist artists including Breton, Masson, Dali, and Ernst (and let's hope there are some ladies included as well, hmmmm?) The show is up until January 6th, before moving onto NYC (YES!) at one of our jewelbox institutions, The Morgan Library, from January 25th to April 21st:

Drawing Surrealism explores the significance of drawing and
works on paper to surrealist innovation. Long considered the medium of
exploration and innovation, drawing was set free from its associations
with other media and valued as a predominant means of expression and
innovation with the advent of surrealism. Automatic drawings, exquisite
cadavers, decalcomania, frottage, and collage, for example, are just a
few of the processes invented by surrealists as means to tap into the
subconscious realm.

The exhibition examines the impact of surrealist drawing on a global
scale, with approximately 200 works representing 90 artists from 16
countries. Drawing today is in many ways indebted to the expansive and
innovative approach to artistic creation and the primacy of drawing
encouraged by surrealism. For contemporary artists, drawing is a process
more than a medium; it functions as a metaphor for experimentation and
innovation that defies any strict material definition. The inclusion of
drawing-based projects by contemporary artists Alexandra Grant, Mark
Licari, and Stas Orlovski, conceived specifically for the exhibition,
aims to elucidate the diverse and enduring vestiges of surrealist
drawing.

November 27, 2012

The impeccable Gestalten press is at it again, this time with an astonishingly beautiful monograph of Jen Ray's work, entitled Ain't We Got Fun. The book as object is - unsurprisingly for Gestalten - a treasure: rainbow rich, foil stamped, designed with a bold and playful eye. It starts with a terrific intro essay by curator Robert Roos, in which he writes the following:

Forget Anakin. Forget Luke Skywalker. Enter Princess Leia Organa as the superhero-protagonist of an epic battle. With Jen Ray at the helm of a fantasy ride - and not George Lucas - this change from supporting role to center stage for a female warrior is more than just an illusion. In Ray's world, women rule the battlefield."

If that doesn't make you want to turn the page and see some work, I don't know what will. Jen Ray's paintings are large-scale tableaux that feature, yes, loads of warrior women - but these are no ordinary Amazons. Rather, they're dressed in costumes that are part shamanic, part Bjorkian. These ladies fire confetti cannons, hold flaming sticks of dynamite, sit at lion-mouthed caves. They are, in a word, fierce. And they rule islands with topography as varied as crystalline mountains, violet amphitheaters, and giant chain-link spider webs. These are lands born of a mind untethered in the best, most vivid way imaginable. And Ray's are pictures that beg to be pored over, each detail and madly drawn line studied and sopped up with relish. Lucky for us, the book includes plenty of close-up detail pages, so no striped mask or fluttering flag will go unnoticed. Sure, these pieces must be impressive in person, but Gestalten does a fine job by proxy.

Ain't We Got Fun
also includes photographs of Ray's rituals and live painting-reenactments, which I simply must witness one day. And the book ends with an excellent interview with the artist herself and includes choice quotes such as this:

"I just want there to be that constant push-pull. I want viewers to see the same dichotomy in the small details hidden amidst the opulence. I want a dirty newspaper to be seen against a golden robe."

Indeed. Many thanks to Gestalten for sending me this excellent monograph for review.

November 26, 2012

Egads! I discovered Daria Hlazatova on Pinterest, but I can't seem to track down the original pinner. Please let me know if it was you! Regardless, I'm pretty entraced by her work. It reminds me a bit of the Biba aesthetic: dark art nouveau by way of eastern Europe. I love her ornate drawings of celestial beauties, and if you do, too, you can order some original work here.

November 19, 2012

A few quick updates re: Observatory events. Mark Pilkington's talk will now be taking place tomorrow, offsite in Williamsburg (and please note, I did not produce this one, Joanna at Morbid Anatomy did. I'm just incredibly excited for it!) Also, there are still a few spots left for our Perfume Blending Workshop. And my Nostradamus event has been rescheduled to next month, just in time for the end of the world! Full info below:

NOTE DATE AND LOCATION CHANGE From the
Akashic Jukebox: Magic and Music in Britain, 1888-1978: Illustrated
Lecture and Rare British Occult Recordings with Mark Pilkington of
Strange Attractor Press

Illustrated Lecture and Rare British Occult Recordings with Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor PressDate: Tuesday, November 20Time: 8:00Admission: $5*** Now being held at Acme Studio, 63 N. 3rd St. Brooklyn, as the electricity is still out at Observatory

Magic and music are as old as humanity, but organised witchcraft–a
British cultural export whose influence has been felt all over the
world–is younger than jazz. In tonight’s talk, illustrated with images,
music and rare recordings, Strange Attractor’s
Mark Pilkington explores British occultism’s origins in the bohemian
groves of late 19th century London, and charts its impact on popular
music and some of its players, from the rock ‘n’ roll years through to
the paradigm shift of punk. The emerging stories glow with
transcendence, ripple with mystery, honk with absurdity and are all too
often shadowed by tragedy.

Natural Perfume Blending Workshop with Julianne Zaleta

***Very limited class size. You must RSVP to phantasmaphile [at] gmail.com to attend. You will then receive a payment request via Paypal***

Smell is the most neglected of our senses yet it has an instantaneous
power to penetrate our consciousness, invoking memories and emotion.
Odors are ethereal and elusive yet can strongly attract or repel.

As a concerned consumer, you are choosing organic food, seeking out
sustainable products and opting for eco-friendly packaging. But what
about the fragrance you wear? That signature scent is likely composed of
synthetic materials (as most commercial fragrances are), mass-produced,
packaged and shipped around the world in the millions of units. Natural
perfumery is a much different process that uses only essential oils and
precious absolutes that are extracted from plants. Like fine wine,
subtle differences can be found from the same plant from year to year
depending on soil conditions and climate meaning that it is not an exact
science but a creative alchemical process.

In this sensory workshop we will examine the artisanal art of natural
perfumery. Students will gain a basic understanding of the sense of
smell, the history of perfume, the advent of synthetic ingredients and
the return to naturals. Perfume ingredients and formulation will be
explored, and each participant will leave with two bottles of their own bespoke perfume.

No prior knowledge of perfume making is required. Students should
bring a notebook to class, all other materials will be provided.

Julianne Zaleta is a natural perfumer,
aromatherapist and herbalist and has trained with Michael Scholes and
Jeanne Rose. Owner and sole proprietor of her own company, Herbal Alchemy Apothecary,
Julianne creates aromatic and therapeutic remedies and elixirs for a
wide variety of ailments. As a perfumer she has trained with Mandy Aftel
to create a line of all natural perfumes. Recently she has turned her
attention to artisanal cocktails, which makes her work life quite
enjoyable, as you can imagine.

Apocalypse Now? The Lure of Nostradamus in Modern Times

An Illustrated Lecture with Stéphane Gerson, Associate Professor of French Studies at NYU

All of us are familiar with the name Nostradamus, but who was he
really? Why did his predictions become so influential in the Renaissance
and then persist for nearly five centuries? And what does Nostradamus’
endurance in the West say about us and our own world? Alone among
French prophets and astrologers, Nostradamus and his puzzling quatrains
have resurfaced in one historical crisis after another. Whenever we
seem to enter a new era, whenever the premises of our worldview are
questioned or imperiled, they offer certainty and solace.

NYU historian Stéphane Gerson grew interested in Nostradamus in the
wake of 9/11 and then undertook extensive research in Europe and the
U.S. In this talk, he will situate Michel de Nostredame in his world
and then trace the singular posterity of his prophecies until they
became our modern Gospel of Doom. He will explain why so many people
have gravitated toward his quatrains and suggest that we reconsider
Nostradamus as a creature of the modern West rather than some
antidilluvian relic. Ultimately, the Nostradamus phenomenon tells us
more about our past and our present than it does about the future.

Stéphane Gerson is a cultural historian of modern France and the author of Nostradamus: How an Obscure Renaissance Astrologer Became the Modern Prophet of Doom
(St. Martin’s Press, 2012). He is also the editor of a new edition of
Nostradamus’s Prophecies for Penguin Classics. An associate professor of
French Studies at NYU, Gerson has won several awards, including the
Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History and the Laurence Wylie Prize in
French Cultural Studies. Gerson lives in Manhattan and Woodstock, NY,
with his family.

November 16, 2012

Jody Erickson's paintings have a restrained, mysterious elegance to them. I think it's because she's so good with placement, leaving plenty of space between the various elements of her curious tableaux. It all feels almost reverentially measured; Pagan Zen, if you will. The piece above of course makes me think of the sumptuous film Picnic at Hanging Rock, but the candles and ember-tinged sky add a ritualistic atmosphere making this gathering seem even more coven-esque.

November 15, 2012

Smashing good news: your favorite alt-periodical and mine, Arthur, is coming back from the dead. In a stroke of numerological grace, it'll be issue 33 coming out on December 22, 2012, and if that's not an equation for resurrection than nothing is. Here's what editor/cosmic overlord-in-chief, Jay Babcock, has to say about it:

After a four-year sabbatical (faked death?), your beloved revolutionary
sweetheart Arthur returns to print, renewed, refreshed, reinvigorated
and in a bold new format: pages as tall and wide as a daily newspaper,
printed in color and black and white on compostable newsprint, with ads
only on the back cover(s). Amazing!

In partnership with Portland, Oregon’s Floating World Comics,
Arthur’s gang of goofs, know-it-alls and village explainers are back,
from Bull Tonguers Byron Coley and Thurston Moore to radical ecologist
Nance Klehm to trickster activists Center for Tactical Magic to gonzoid
political commentator Dave Reeves to a host of new, fresh-faced
troublemakers, edited by ol’ fool Jay Babcock. You want a peek at the
contents? Sorry, compadre. That would be saying too much, too soon. Wait
’til Dec. 22, 2012: that’s right—THE DAY AFTER THE NON-END OF THE
WORLD!

Please keep in mind… Arthur is no longer distributed for free
anywhere. Those days are (sadly) long gone. Now you gotta buy Arthur or
you won’t see it. Our price: Five bucks cheeeeeep!

November 13, 2012

Speaking of tarot, I'm currently lusting after The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck. It was made by Kim Krans, an artist whose sensitively rendered images of nature manage to feel stylish and sincere at once. I can picture using these cards on a candle-lit blanket in the middle of a forest grove.

Krans also happens to be one-half of Family Band, alongside Jonny Ollsin. Their dreamy album Grace & Lies has become one of my very favorites of 2012, thanks to Jay Babcock over at Arthur. And their video for Moonbeams slays me. Skeletons in love!

November 12, 2012

Michael Brodka creates mind-explodingly detailed etchings of mythical beings and mystic tropes. The level of obsessiveness and devotion he brings to each piece is truly humbling. His depictions of Greek goddesses such as Nyx of the night (above), and the Moirai feel timeless, yet are full of his own original touches (e.g. surrounding Nyx with a cloud of luna moths). He is currently hard at work at his tarot series, and unsurprisingly considering his track record of hyper-commitment, he's decided to do all 78 cards, not just the major arcana as is typical of such artistic undertakings these days. You can check out his current work here and order some of his prints here.

November 09, 2012

It's come to my attention that Mark Pilkington of the glorious Strange Attractor Press has made his way across the pond to infect NYC with his special brand of high weirdness. He'll be involved with the following events, including one at our own Observatory, where I'll be in rapt attendance:

The Ullage Group Presents: Mark Pilkington

Mark Pilkington, an old friend of the Ullage Group, will talk about
his book "Mirage Men: An Adventure into Paranoia, Espionage,
Psychological Warfare, and UFOs."
2:00PM Sunday, Nov. 11. Admission is $10, which will be given to
hurricane relief. For more info, see ullagegroup.com

About the Ullage Group

Ullage
has several meanings: deficiency, lack, the air at the top of a bottle,
the sediment after the bottle is emptied, the fumes in an engine. The
Ullage Group takes it as an emblem of the other part: the contrarian,
paradoxical, lost, unpopular, and forgotten.

Nigel Kneale (1922-2004) was a visionary dramatist, a pioneering
screenwriter-auteur, one of the most important British science fiction
writers of the 20th century. In works such as the Quatermass trilogy
(watched by one third of UK television owners), The Year of the Sex Olympics and The Stone Tape,
Kneale forged singularly visceral and unforgettable fusions of horror,
spooked thriller and Cold War-era weirdness that have captured the
imaginations of artists and intellectuals as diverse as Pink Floyd,
Monty Python, Greil Marcus, psychogeographer Patrick Keiller and
novelist China Mieville. The radical sound designs these dramas deployed
(often courtesy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop), allied to their
prescient explorations of the eldritch fringes of auditory Albion, have
attracted the attention of theorists such as Mark Fisher and the Ghost Box record label.

A Cathode Ray Séance is a day-long celebration of
this hauntological icon whose work, even though it paved the way for
well-known series such as Doctor Who, is less familiar to American than
to British audiences. Staged by the New York-based Colloquium for
Unpopular Culture (Kiss Me Again: The Life and Legacy of Arthur Russell; Leaving The Factory: Wang Bing’s Tie Xi Qu – West of the Tracks) in collaboration with London’s Strange Attractor
(, it will include rare screenings, talks by Kneale admirers, and a
special musical interpretation by Mark Pilkington, Rose Kallal and Micki
Pellerano of Kneale’s legendary-but-lost 1963 drama The Road.

From the Akashic Jukebox: Magic and Music
in Britain, 1888-1978: Illustrated Lecture and Rare British Occult
Recordings with Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press

Magic and music are as old as humanity, but organised witchcraft–a
British cultural export whose influence has been felt all over the
world–is younger than jazz. In tonight’s talk, illustrated with images,
music and rare recordings, Strange Attractor’s
Mark Pilkington explores British occultism’s origins in the bohemian
groves of late 19th century London, and charts its impact on popular
music and some of its players, from the rock ‘n’ roll years through to
the paradigm shift of punk. The emerging stories glow with
transcendence, ripple with mystery, honk with absurdity and are all too
often shadowed by tragedy.

On a related note, Strange Attractor will be publishing a "lavishly-illustrated" anthology by our dear friend and Observatory cohort, Joanna Ebenstein of Morbid Anatomy. You simply must support its Kickstarter, as the prizes are luscious and the people involved are the creme de la creme of the alterna-verse. The book will be a marvel, no doubt.

November 07, 2012

Both the image and the title of this painting by Yuanyuan Yang accurately represent how I'm feeling today about not having my reproductive rights jeopardized for the next 4 years and beyond. I'm beyond thrilled we re-elected President Obama, and overjoyed that so many females won their Congressional races as well. And same-sex marriage being supported in the 4 states it was voted on?! So much YES.

Anyhow, you can see more of Yang's exuberant and odd works now in NYC via her show "Refracted Beings" up at Fuse Gallery through the 21st of the month.

November 05, 2012

I find myself rather obsessed with Fatima Ronquillo's work. Her paintings are evocative of the old masters, by way of Botero, with some Kahlo thrown in for good measure. There are so many elements here which drive me wild with delight: woodland creatures, lovers' eyes, arrows, gauzy gowns, and on and on and on. Sumptuously strange.